The Best Succession Laws of Crusader Kings 2 for New Players
Crusader Kings II, often referred to as Crusader Kings 2 and CK2, is a grand strategy sandbox RPG (role-playing game) with simulation elements. Crusader Kings video games have been praised for their immersion, freedom of gameplay, role-playing as well as replayability, or replay value. Crusader Kings II (2012) was developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. In Crusader Kings 2, players assume the role of a game character in the Middle Ages, being able to own land, marry, wage wars, participate in plots, among other activities. Besides the role-playing aspects of Crusader Kings 2, this video game is also a strategy game, in which players must carefully plan their actions and decisions in order to ensure the maintenance of their power, which in Crusader Kings 2 is most often linked to the ownership of titles and land. Every time a video game character dies in Crusader Kings 2, their titles and lands pass on to another character, and this process is called succession. Considering that a playthrough of Crusader Kings 2 lasts several generations of game character, it is of great importance in this video game to select the most appropriate succession law in order to ensure the maintenance of power and the expansion of the dynasty of the main character. Crusader Kings 2 is not only won by having many titles and much power, but also by having a powerful dynasty.
The best succession laws of Crusader Kings 2 for new players and beginners are Gavelkind and Primogeniture, as they help expand the main character's dynasty throughout the playthrough and prevent game-over scenarios.
Some of the succession laws of Crusader Kings 2.
While there are many succession laws in Crusader Kings 2, each of these succession laws is more suited to certain gameplay styles and strategies. The Gavelkind succession law is interesting for new players because every time the process of succession occurs, the titles will be distributed among the children of the main character, in which case the main title will be inherited by the primary heir of the main game character. While a new player of Crusader Kings 2 may think that it is actually bad to distribute the titles among different characters, in the long-term this is strategic because it allows the dynasty of the main game character to grow its power. In Crusader Kings 2, generally only landed characters have power and are able to expand and continue their dynasty. In this sense, if only the main game character is landed, the remaining of their dynasty will not be able to independently expand and continue the dynasty, which could lead to situations that could cause a game over in Crusader Kings 2.
The overview of the dynasty of a main game character in Crusader Kings 2. Dynasties are important in the long-term of a playthrough of Crusader Kings 2, and having a powerful dynasty, with many landed characters, is important to avoid game over situations in the video game.
Primogeniture is a valid succession law in Crusader Kings 2, including for new players and beginners, but while this succession law may seem interesting, it is not as recommended as Galvekind for new players, because the Primogeniture succession law will concentrate the land and titles in the hands of the primary heir of the main game chararcter. This will make it more difficult for the siblings and other members of the dynasty to expand the dynasty, which could lead to situations that could cause a game over in Crusader Kings 2. If your main game chararcter already has a very powerful dynasty, with several landed members, that it may make sense to select Primogeniture. However, especially for the early game of Crusader Kings 2, and especially for new players and for small dynasties, in general Galvekind is more strategic and better in the long-term.
It is not recommended for new players and beginners of Crusader Kings 2 to select other types of succession laws before they are more experienced with the video game, such as Seniority and Elective. These succession laws often involve more complex politics than succession laws such as Gavelkind and Primogeniture. Thus, these succession laws are generally more suited to players who are more experienced with Crusader Kings 2.
How to Change the Succession Law in Crusader Kings 2
If you are playing Crusader Kings 2 and the succession law of your title is not either Gavelkind or Primogeniture, you may consider changing the succession law for an easier gameplay, especially if you are a new players or beginner of Crusader Kings 2. In order to change the succession law of a title of Crusader Kings 2, some requirements must be met and some conditions must be observed, as it cannot be done at all times. Changing a succession law in Crusader Kings 2 is not the easiest of tasks. Several conditions must be metd, such as the main game character having reigned for at least 10 years, the realm being at peace, not at a regency, peace between vassals, all vassals having a positive opinion of the main game character, among other factors.
If you wish to change the succession law of the primary title of your main game character in Crusader Kings 2, go to "Laws", and in "Inheritance", you will notice the several succession laws available. Then, move your mouse cursos to the "?" symbol next to each of these laws. When the mouse cursor is moved to this "?" symbol, the requirements and conditions for each of these succession laws will be displayed. Pay attention to which conditions and requirements must be met at the same time in order for the succession law change to be possible. After these conditions have been met, you will be able to change the succession law of that title.
The conditions and requirements to change the succession law to Primogeniture in Crusader Kings 2. Several conditions and requirements must be met at the same time in order for the change to be possible.
The Importance of Gavelkind Succession Law in the Early Game
While unexperienced players of Crusader Kings 2 may consider Gavelkind to be a bad succession law, this succession law ensure quite some safety for the dynasty of the main game character, especially in the early and in the middle stages of a playthrough. In general, depending on the character you chose to start your playthrough of Crusader Kings 2, you may start the video game with a smaller or larger dynasty. In general, the smaller your dynasty in Crusader Kings 2, the more chances you have of reaching a game over situation. In order to avoid this, it is important to have many landed characters in your dynasty, which will expand the dynasty throughout the playthrough. Of course, given the sandbox nature of Crusader Kings 2, one can never be sure that all dynasty members will be able to continue the dynasty, as game characters in Crusader Kings 2 can fall ill, wage wars and be assassinated. However, statistically, the more landed characters a dynasty has in Crusader Kings 2, the more likely this dynasty is to expand over time and become more powerful.
The family tree of a main game character of Crusader Kings 2.
In Crusader Kings 2, due to the sandbox and unexpected nature of the video game, dynasty members are often sick, killed in combat or assassinated, and may also have their titles usurped, besides other events that may happen in the video game. Due to this unpredictability, it is strategic to ensure as many landed characters in the dynasty as possible in early moments of the playthrough, as this will avoid game over situations in Crusader Kings 2. While this can be achieved by manually grantind titles to dynasty members, another effective way is through the Gavelkind succession law. Through this succession law, in every process of inheritance of the main game character, the siblings will also inherit some of the titles previously owned by the main game character. This is an effective way of distributing land titles among dynasty members of the main came character in Crusader Kings 2.
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